Chicago, Ill. — The Aquinas Men's Rugby team entered the weekend rested and ready after earning a first-round bye in the Big Rivers Rugby Conference Tournament. That brief pause gave Coach Lance Hohaia's squad valuable time to recover, reset, and refine their approach—but it also presented the classic question: will rest or rust prevail? The Saints now turned their focus to a high-stakes semifinal match-up against Marian, where 80 minutes of hard-nosed rugby would determine whether Aquinas punched its ticket to the conference championship game.
Marian 22, Aquinas 10
The Saints opened with real intent, defending strongly through the first 20 minutes. Both sides traded territory early, but it was Aquinas who struck first when Henry Whitmore charged down a kick, regathered, and dove over in the 22nd minute. Dominic Zavala added the extras for a 7–0 lead.
The next stretch was evenly contested, with Sam Whitmore making several probing runs while Zavala and Liam Inman managed territory through smart tactical kicking. Marian answered just before halftime with two quick tries and a penalty to grab a 15–7 advantage at the break. Darryl Lunon stood out in the backline with several strong carries that kept the Saints on the front foot.
After the restart, JaVani Overstreet made an instant impact off the bench, breaking the line multiple times and providing a spark on defense. The Saints converted pressure into points to close the gap to 15–10 midway through the half. However, Marian capitalized on back-to-back penalties in the closing minutes, scoring beside the posts to seal a 22–10 win.
Inside the Numbers
• Henry Whitmore scored his first postseason try of the season with a chargedown and recovery in the 22nd minute.
• Dominic Zavala went 1-for-1 on conversions and played a key role in controlling field position with his tactical kicking.
• JaVani Overstreet sparked the second-half push with multiple line breaks and defensive stops off the bench.
• The Saints held Marian scoreless for the first 20 minutes and limited them to just one try in the second half.
Coach's Comments:
After the match, Head Coach Lance Hohaia reflected, "I was really proud of our commitment and defensive effort today—it's the most composure and determination we've shown all season. We made a few errors at crucial times and let a couple of scoring chances slip late in the match. We need to be better in those moments if we want to win semifinal matches, but we'll review the film, make our adjustments, and be ready to go again next week."
Up Next:
While they'll need a few results to fall their way, the Saints' season is not over. Aquinas will face Iowa Central next Saturday (Nov. 8) at 12 p.m. Eastern in the conference third-place playoff match. A win could keep AQ's national tournament hopes alive if the stars align. The game will stream live on the AQSaints Watch Live Channel—visit aqsaints.com for scores, stats, schedules, and updates.
